MAY 2015 Letter - LIVING WELL

Some of YOU may be thinking –

     What do you spend your days doing,

     besides making plans for your next trip to Africa?

We are seeking:

• to prevent children from going through the heartache of growing up with their parents divorced or a home with both parents, who have lots of conflict.
• to guide couples into stronger, healthier, and more godly marriages.

Now, you may be thinking – 

     How do you do that?

We do that by:

• Meeting with a couple in our office, teaching them God’s heart about marriage/relationships and practical skills on communication, money management, etc.
• Teaching classes, seminars 
• Working with churches to develop effective marriage ministries
• Making our time available to people regardless of their ability to pay

We can’t do it alone! We need YOU!

We believe that God has called us to this mission. To continue, we need:

• YOUR prayers! A prayer that YOU can pray for us: We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Colossians 1:9b
• YOUR giving! We can make our time available, regardless of ability to pay, because YOU and others believe in what we are doing and give to LIVING WELL as an act of worship and obedience to the LORD. Right now, our donations are several thousand dollars behind what they were at this time last year and what we need to continue to minister. [DONATE HERE]
• TIME for prayer and study! We know that only God can give us time. However, if we have to take time out to raise support, we won’t be able to see as many people or have time for the ongoing Bible study and reading that we need to do. [Please read our blog on marriage about marriage problems and solutions.]

Share our joy in a recent testimony from a couple, to whom we minister:
     Wife: We were in a very broken place when we first started at Living Well. My husband wasn’t sure if he still wanted to be in this marriage, he had recently had an affair, and I was desperately trying to hold it all together… learn how to forgive and move past the pain and hurt that was controlling my life.… The biggest thing that changed was my husband giving his life over to God…. our family started to heal…. God helped me move past my anger, hurt and bitterness…. Through Living Well, we learned some MUCH needed communication skills. Issues and grievances are no longer being swept under the rug and left to linger until they build up and explode. Disagreements are being resolved.… I truly, honestly feel that our marriage is better than it’s ever been.

      Husband: Most importantly, I hit rock bottom.… I knew God, but never fully gave my life to Him. Living Well really helped me to recognize what I was doing wrong and how to fix it… the tools being based on God’s principals were everything I needed to establish my role as a Godly husband my wife has always wanted.

Thank YOU for caring about us and what God is doing through us.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for our general budget support, the remaining amount for our Zambia mission, and for our team preparations.

The water that I will give him will become in him 

a well of water springing up to eternal life. 

John 4:14b 

LIVING WELL is a life source,  not a life style.

JUNE 2014 Letter LIVING WELL

Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs,
nor out of theological arguments,
but out of love. Roland Allen (English missionary, 1868-1947)

Why do we keep going to Zambia and Wisdom Community School? God has given us a love for the Zambian people and for the children at Wisdom. Supporting and developing a school for orphan children in a slum area was never part of “our” agenda. But when we were faced with the prospect of seeing a school close for lack of funding, God clearly told us that He wanted us to be the conduits of His provision for that school and to be the means by which He wants to share the gospel with those vulnerable children. Because of YOU, we can do that!

His plans for us have not changed when it comes to ministering to marriages. Because of YOUR support, we continue to give guidance to those in crisis, preparing for marriage, and wanting to strengthen their marriages. We still see many couples and learn/grow in that area.

If we asked YOU, “What percentage of couples are happy in their marriage today?” What would YOU say? Most people guess in the 30-40% range. Here is some good news for YOU!

In a new book, The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce, Shaunti Feldhahn shares that most marriages are happy not hard. “Most married people today enjoy being married to their spouse and, given the chance, would do it all over again.” In her research, she found that 71% of married couples are happy, including one-third being highly happy.

“Well,” YOU say, “what about Oklahoma? What about other research?” Even though Oklahoma has one of the higher divorce rates in the country, 68% of Oklahomans say that they are “very happy” in their marriage. Another 29% are “pretty happy.” Only 3% are “not too happy!” [survey in 2001 by Scott Stanley for the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative]

Does that surprise you? Does that give you hope? What difference does it make if I am not one of the happy ones? The numbers show us that it is very common for people to be happy. If that many people are happy, my marriage can be happy too! Is marriage hard work? Yes, we often have to work hard but we can also have fun in marriage. “May you rejoice in the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:18) “Enjoy life with your wife.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

Happiness is not the goal of marriage - honoring and glorifying God with my marriage is the goal. Our marriages are to reflect the relationship between Christ and the church. Certainly, enjoying my marriage would be part of that picture.

Your prayers for our final preparations and funding are greatly needed and appreciated!

Thank YOU for your continued support! We could not continue this ministry without YOU! We love and appreciate YOU and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray that the Lord will raise up the remaining $1,000 to finance this mission.

To donate to Mission Zambia, click here.

LIVING WELL teaches pastor couples in Kitwe, Zambia

What an enthusiastic group of pastors and spouses we had in Kitwe, Zambia!

After three days of teaching on marriage, worship and eating together, we had a time of renewing their vows, topped with feeding each other wedding cake!

Ed and Donna, along with team members, Darla and John Holinsworth, saw marriages healed and strengthened.

We have been teaching pastor couples in Africa for 12 years. We seen changes in the way people dress (more Western) and their habits (men sit with their wives without being prompted). We see them trying to filter through some of their traditions versus what God's Word says.

Through all the years, however, some things never change. People are the same everywhere. Their daily life looks a lot different from ours, but they struggle with the same issues in marriage. We are continually encouraged though to see the way God's Word applies to all people of every tradition, race, and time period.

We have many pictures and experiences to post. Stay tuned!

MAY 2013 Letter LIVING WELL

America is in the midst of a battle. The battle is not against terrorism - even though the pain of Boston will be with us for a long time. The battle is for our children and our families. 

When an act of terror strikes us, we join together to increase our efforts to protect our homeland. We refuse to give up or give in. We become more vigilant and put up more safeguards. We tell people “see something, say something.”

In the battle for marriage and family, even many of the soldiers in the battle are giving up. They believe that we have lost and should surrender. There is no urgency, no increase of safeguards, no determination, and no promotion of public awareness. But we are calling you to action! We are imploring you to persevere with us.

You are still in the battle as you support our mission to put faith into practice in the first and most important formation of relationships - the family. You make it possible for us to bring God’s healing to marriages that are on the brink of dissolution and for couples that are about to embark on the marriage journey. We are urging you to be vigilant to show our world what the relationship of Christ and the church looks like through our marriages.

Because of your donations, we can spend time guiding and discipling these couples. Their marriages are save    d, their families remain intact, their children still have both parents at home. We can’t share details because of confidentiality, but we can say that the Lord is at work!

The dynamics of couples that we see have changed since we started working with marriages. The husband and/or wife have children from a previous relationship, not a previous marriage. Now pornography is a common, frequent problem. Families incur great debt from buying things or being unprepared for emergencies. The lack of time together as a family is increasing dramatically as 1)more couples are both working, 2)children are involved in more extracurricular activities, especially sports, and 3)electronic media intrude and isolate people.

We are about a month from departure to Zambia. We continue to train and prepare our team of 18 to minister at Wisdom Community School.

You can be a part of the MISSION ZAMBIA 2013 TEAM!
YOU can give so that we can GO!  Cost to go = $3000+/person  
YOU can supply the materials to improve the school  $4000
YOU can feed lunch to 120 kids and 20 helpers for 5 days $1400 ($2/person/day)
YOU can supply materials, equipment & translators to teach 120 kids $1200 ($10/child)
YOU can provide t-shirts for the kids and helpers $700 ($5/person)
YOU can provide the Jesus film showing to the whole slum community $600
YOU can PRAY for our safety and success ETERNAL REWARDS

Thank you for your continued support through prayers and donations. We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

MARCH 2013 Letter - LIVING WELL

Michael O'Brien, Donna, Ed Edwards
Together Forever 2013

We had a great weekend hosting Michael O'Brien for our Together Forever event, Sunday morning worship service, and a time of sharing in our Bible study class. He has an incredible voice, a wonderful sense of humor, a devotion to his wife and his Lord, and a refreshing transparency. He encouraged our group of young married couples but also challenged them.  

Michael not only entertained us but he inspired us as he sang and shared. He was very open about the struggles that he has experienced in his own marriage, but he also shared with humility how Christ has changed him and saved his marriage. We are thankful that he has allowed the Lord to work in him but also that he is willing to share his struggles with others.

Our Mission Zambia 2013 team is almost finalized! We believe that we will have 18 people on the team. As Ed outlined in last month’s letter, we will only be working at Wisdom Community School on our mission trip this summer. We will focus on improving the physical facility and on doing a Bible Camp for the children. 

Part of the Bible Camp is to provide lunch for the children every day. We are going to have half the children attend camp in the morning and half will attend in the afternoon. We will feed one group before they leave and one group as they arrive. 

At the end of our week of Bible Camp, we will have a time with the parents/guardians of all the children to share what the kids did during the week. Later that evening, we will also show the Jesus film outside for the community. In a community where it gets dark at 6:30 pm and without electricity, a movie showing on the side of a building will draw lots of people! The movie will give us an opportunity to share the gospel with the whole community. 

We are responsible for raising the funds necessary to finance all of the construction projects, cost of the Bible Camp, and our own trip costs - a total of $18,000. [for more details about the mission]

We will announce the names of all of our team members very soon! We do know that 9 out of 10 of last years team are returning this year. Obviously, their hearts were deeply touched by the Lord for the children of Wisdom Community School. 

We read the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas several years ago. We consider it to be one of the best books on marriage. 

As we lead the Sacred Marriage class at our church, we are reminded of the great truths that Gary Thomas shares in the book. He poses the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”

 Frances de Sales, a great Christian writer from the 17th century, wrote that marriage might be the toughest ministry a person could undertake. What if each of us saw marriage as a ministry to our spouse? Pray with us that the 15 couples in class will see marriage from a new perspective. 

We thank you for your many prayers and support! You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray with us about our mission to Zambia and the $18,000 to finance the project.

FEBRUARY 2013 Letter - LIVING WELL

We’re back! We thank you for your many prayers and support! As we write this letter, we returned less than a week ago. Besides the physical recovery from the long trip, we have finished writing and presenting for two events here in OKC since our return.

We enjoyed seeing the children of Wisdom Community School again and many of our pastor friends. We were able to spend time at the school, getting to know their community and the children better.  We spent time learning from people who are running community schools.

Please read Ed's letter about God’s message to him while were there! We are already planning our next trip. [see details] God is giving us a big mission for this summer! Please consider whether God may be calling you to be a part of the mission.

We also made some significant progress towards providing year-round, clean drinking water with a new well for the children of Wisdom. Please pray with us that the project will go forward. What a great opportunity for those children! Right now, they drink from a hand-dug well that is dry during three or four months a year (no water to drink or wash their hands).

At the follow-up to our pastors’ conference, we heard many testimonies from pastors of what has happened since last June when they spent a week with us. One young pastor shared how he took four couples in his church through the material that we had taught him. Now those four couples are teaching other couples.

A well-dressed, articulate man got up to speak. He said that he had something to say even though he had not been at our conference and was not a pastor. He shared that his pastor had been at our conference and had taught his church the lessons on marriage. The man identified himself as being a high court officer in their government. His office processes divorce requests. He explained to these pastors that the number of people seeking divorce now in Zambia is increasing at a staggering pace. In his government office, using what he had learned from his pastor, he had been able to reconcile three couples! He also challenged the pastors to spend more time strengthening marriages and help slow the growing swell of divorcing couples. What an unexpected blessing we received as we heard him speak and challenge these pastors!

We are leading a team that is presenting an event on February 23 to celebrate marriage. Together Forever is open to the public (for married/engaged/seriously dating couples) and is featuring Michael O’Brien, a Christian recording artist. We heard Michael sing and share his marriage testimony a few years ago. His music appeals to all ages and his testimony is very powerful. Our evening includes specialty coffee bars by Café Evoke (and other drinks), photos (photo booth, portraits, party pics), great door prizes, and exquisite desserts. We will honor couples who have been married 50+ years and encourage those who are in their early years. The event is at Putnam City Baptist Church; contact us or visit the church website.

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray with us about our next mission to Zambia. 

DECEMBER 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

Most of us approach Christmas with the strange paradox of excitement and dread, of joy and anxiety. We love the season - the good cheer, the time with family, the music, the celebrations. We dread the shopping, the attempt to keep the reason for the season, the family tensions, the crowds, the money we spend on gifts, deciding what to buy…..

How did we ever get caught up in the frenzy of buying gifts and spending so much money?

Most people believe that the idea of buying gifts may have started in reference to the gifts the Magi brought to the baby Jesus as recorded in Matthew 2:11, ... they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Accounts of St. Nicolas giving money to the poor in the 4th century shaped the beginnings of the Santa Claus tradition.

The examples of giving were 1)as worship and 2)to the those in need.

What would happen if we used those examples as our criteria for giving?

Would our children suffer? Would our dads still have enough ties?

Perhaps this season we might re-evaluate how we spend our time and money to celebrate Christmas. We could look at the messages that we convey about what we value.

When thinking of the investment of prayers and donations of many during the past year, you can rejoice and praise the Lord with us in remembering how they have touched many lives. 

Some of these people include:

• 160 poor, young children in Zambia who can continue to attend school.
• A young boy named Albert who was overjoyed at hearing about Jesus and John who prayed with him in that Zambian slum.
• The marriage of a young couple was restored after almost losing it because of pornography addiction.
• A couple now has sound finances and a marriage that is stronger than ever after being overwhelmed with debt which caused intense marital strife.
• A young girl was able to unload her burden of despair from losing her parents and being mistreated by her caretakers, after hearing Karen share her own story of hardship.
• A couple can now communicate and resolve conflict for the first time after years of hurt feelings and pain in their marriage.
• A woman carrying the burden of years of abuse and pain who can now be a healthy, Christian wife and mother.

The end of the year is often a time when people consider their giving to the Lord in a special way. We are very thankful for the people who support this ministry. These end-of-the-year donations are a vital part of our budget. Please pray for God to supply our needs at this time of the year. [to donate]

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing at Living Well!

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for the Lord to provide the remaining $8700 for our mission to Zambia in January.

NOVEMBER 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

Thank you for your prayers for our annual dinner. We had several people who said that they thought it was the best one that we have ever had. If you would like to see more about that event, you can go to our website. The homepage has a link to more info and several videos.

One of the videos is a testimony from a couple with whom we have met by Skype over the last year and a half. We recorded their testimony through a Skype interview also. We told them that they did not have to share their specific issues, but to share where they were and what God did. One line from the video that characterizes our work with couples: “You truly cared about our marriage and wanted it to survive - even more than we did.” We know that God can heal any hurt. We are thankful for their “new” marriage! [see the video here]

You can also see what we believe that God has for us during the coming year. We don’t know why He called us for this mission, but we believe that God has placed us in Ndola, Zambia, “for such a time as this.” In the midst of training pastors/wives on marriage/family, we encountered an opportunity to become involved in Wisdom Community School. Because the Lord placed it on our hearts and, consequently, the hearts of many of our friends and supporters, the school is able to stay open. Some ministry groups go for one-week, short-term missions to places and then never go back to the same place. We are committed to go back! We are committed to provide and strengthen the education and spiritual training for the children of Wisdom who live in the slum area surrounding the school. Many of these kids are orphans.

We are going back to Ndola in January. Another couple from our last trip, John and Darla Holinsworth, are going with us. John worked on the building and Darla worked with the children last time. We will go to the school to provide and further evaluate the school needs educationally, spiritually, and facilities. Please see the this sheet with more information about the school project and our January return to Ndola.

We will also have several opportunities to teach and will follow-up with couples, whom we have taught on previous trips. Our plans are to return in June 2013 and take more friends! If you are interested in being a part of that trip, please let us know.

Through the generosity of many people at our church, we shipped 12 boxes of Christmas gifts for the 175 children at Wisdom School! We also were able to send gifts for the three teachers and the caretaker couple at the school.

Our ministry partner in Ndola no longer has a computer. Our desire is to take a laptop with us in January to give to him. If you have a functional laptop, which you would like to donate, or would like to give towards the purchase of one, please use the enclosed return envelope or contact us. Not only would a computer be a great aid to him in his ministry there, but it would also expedite our communications with him.

We are thankful that we live in a country that allows us to vote. We consider voting a privilege and responsibility! We are thankful that we live in a country that will continue in peace regardless of the results for the election. Join us in praying for our country and this election.

We pray that you will experience a true season of Thanksgiving for all that God has provided for you and all that He is. May He bless you in this season and in the time with your families.

Donna and Ed Edwards
P.S. Please pray for the Lord to provide the money for our mission in January.

TO DONATE to the ministry of LIVING WELL

Pictures from LIVING WELL 10th Annual Dinner

OCTOBER 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

“Timing is everything.”

Think of the importance of timing in:
Baking a cake …. Selling a house …. Telling a joke …. Talking to your spouse about a problem …. Buying/selling stock …. Going to class …. Traffic signals on a busy street …. Approaching your boss for a raise …. Asking “the one” to marry you …. Being in the right place at the right time.

The wisdom book of Ecclesiastes shows the importance of timing. In chapter 3, it says:
    There is a time for everything,
          and a season for every activity under heaven:
    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.
    …. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Our 10th Annual Dinner centers around For Such a Time as This ..... 



Our responses to God’s timing in our lives can make an enormous difference in the outcome. At our dinner, you will see what God’s timing has brought about during the last year at Living Well. We will also share what we believe He has for us in the coming year.

We would love for you to come and share our joy! The dinner is October 16th. We will have dinner and a silent auction from 6-7:30. Yes, Ed is cooking a magnificent meal! You can eat at any time while you are bidding on some outstanding auction items. The ministry presentation will be begin at 7:30.

If you can attend, please RSVP by October 9th. You can call us at 792-2586, or go to this link for more info or to RSVP, or email info@livingwellokc.org.

Please feel free to bring guests who may be interested in hearing about what God is doing! Just let us know who is coming.

The fact that God called us and gave us a passion to see marriages and families restored still amazes us! We thank Him everyday for the opportunity of having such a critical ministry in our world. We thank Him for the work He does in marriages every day in the lives of so many families that we see. The need continues to increase.

The voices speaking against marriage in our culture are gaining volume and strength. The Divine voice does not shout but comes gently, not with lures but with wisdom. Our influence does not increase by yelling louder but by caring more deeply and engaging more personally. Read more about that topic on our blog, Living Well in Marriage, "Me, Marriage, and Culture."

During the pre-election season, we get very focused on which candidate might be best for our country. Many think the country is going to collapse if their candidate doesn’t win. As Americans, we have the responsibility and privilege to vote and participate in the selection of our leaders. But as Christians, we must not lose sight that our hope is not in a candidate or in our government. Our hope is in Christ!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

The Economics of Marriage and Divorce

A company in the U.K. put this graphic together, using the U.S. population as their database because of our size, diversity, and high rate of marriage. The graphic is only about the economics of two-parent families versus single parents.

SEPTEMBER 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

“Find a church that offers marriage oriented classes and attend those regularly.”

We recently asked our class to tell us one important thing that they had learned about marriage. If you could give someone who was about to be married one piece of advice, what would it be? The opening quote is one of the answers. Of course, we loved that answer.

Our class actually had a lot of great answers. Another person talked about how he and his wife had grown up in good Christian homes, read the Bible, and had parents with good marriages. But after going to a marriage conference with a group that we put together, they realized that they still had a lot to learn about marriage. He was thankful for finding out what he didn’t know! He believes they are to continue to learn about marriage, in the same way he does continuing education on his job.

When is the last time you did a continuing ed class for your marriage?

Or maybe you know someone is preparing for marriage or in the beginning years of their marriage. We have a class coming soon for all of the above. We are teaching a marriage class at our office on Monday nights this fall, September 10 - November 5, 7-8:30 pm (eight classes). For more information, you can call or email us or go to this page on our website to find out more.

A couple of weeks ago, our landlord (a wonderful, Christian man) came to us and said that someone wanted to rent the room that he has been letting us use for the last two years at no cost. We use the room for our classes, meetings, and trainings. Our agreement with him was that we could use the room, which adjoins our office, at no charge, but he would continue to make it available to lease. Then, if anyone wanted to lease it, he would give us a chance to lease it first. We prayed and consulted our board. We believe that God wants us to continue to use the space. We know that God will raise up the additional $350/month for the rent for the room. Please pray with us for the Lord to touch hearts of those who will join us in continuing to provide classes and trainings.

We recently completed a series, THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY Marriages in the Bible (and what we can learn from them). We are gradually posting the complete lessons (and more!) on one of our blogs. You can read the complete series on our marriage blog.

The Wisdom Community School has a website, www.wisdomcommunityschool.com and a facebook page. [like their page here] You can now see more pictures and video of the children online. And you can see our team in action! More will be added to both in the days ahead. They have a year-round school schedule there, going to classes for three months, then taking a one-month break. They are about to start back to school for their fall semester. We are thankful for the ongoing commitment and prayers for those children.

And … save the date for our annual dinner - Tuesday, October 16!

Thank you for your continued prayer and support of the ministry of Living Well.

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pass on info about our marriage class that is starting soon!

AUGUST 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

Our country is grieving over the latest shooting tragedy. Our hearts are heavy; many continue to seek the answer to the question “Why?” We don’t pretend to be able to understand what was going through the mind of the shooter as he planned and carried out such a horrific act.

Most of us cannot understand the depths of the depravity of a human being. We do not know the answer to the “why?” question, what we do know is that evil is very present in our world today! No amount of analysis or speculation will be able to explain the motive of this man.

Our government leaders and politicians have re-energized the national debate on firearms. Unfortunately, an endless amount of laws will not change the fact that millions of firearms are already owned by millions of Americans.

What are we to do?

Ultimately, the issue is the heart. Darrell Scott’s daughter was killed in the Columbine shooting. He testified in 1999 before the subcommittee on crime of the House Judiciary Committee. His testimony included these words, “The real villain lies within our OWN hearts. Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers….We do need a change of heart and an humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God.”

You may be thinking, “My heart is okay; I would never go on a shooting rampage.” As Christians, we must look beyond ourselves. Through His Word, God says,
    “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
                                                                  (Romans 12:21)
    “Do not repay evil for evil or insult with insult,
         but [repay] with blessing,
         because to this you were called ….” (1 Peter 3:9a)

As we minister to the hurts of those around us, we open the door for our Lord to make changes in their hearts. Our attitudes and compassion offer the love of Christ to those we see. Each of us can be inspired by good and by God or inspired by bad and evil. We are all inspired by someone or something. We will have some writings on inspiration on our next blog post.

We are excited about developments at Wisdom Community School. We received enough donations to provide security bars for the doors and window. Those bars are being installed now. Someone donated lightweight backpacks for the children of the school. They are perfect for shipping and for the needs of the children. We have enough monthly financial commitments to engage a principal, one day per week. He will provide oversight and support for the teachers but also be the spiritual instructor for the students and the teachers. We have established some reliable contacts for drilling a well.

We are starting a three-lesson series called "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Marriages in the Bible: and what we can learn from them" in our Sunday morning Bible study class on August 5 at 11:00. [see more info] We are teaching a marriage class at our office on Monday nights this fall, September 10 - November 5, 7-8:30 pm (eight classes). [see more information here]

We are excited about our expanded roles in leadership at church. We are leading the development of a comprehensive marriage and family ministry. The team has 10 ambitious goals for the coming year. Our mission is to: engage, enlighten, encourage, equip, and enrich families with Biblical strategies and training. Some results include a class this fall for parenting teens and a marriage celebration event with recording artist, Michael O’Brien, on February 23. 2013. [for more info, call our office, 792-2586]

Thank you for your continued prayer and support of the ministry of Living Well.
Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

February 2012 Letter - LIVING WELL

We are back from Zambia! We had a great trip and have hit the ground running! 

We spoke to seven different groups in eight days. As they have each time we have taught there, the people in Ndola responded with enthusiasm and attention.

• After preaching at Glad Tidings Church, the church gave Ed a blazer and Donna a dress made from the elaborately printed fabrics of that country.
• We were hoping for 50 to attend the women’s seminar, over 125 showed up!
• At the first of two couple’s seminars, they filled up the space, leaving some to sit on children’s chairs.
• We saw half of the 160 children of Wisdom Community School packed into two classrooms.
• The plight of many single mothers became apparent at our first single parent’s seminar. We broke new territory in bringing together these vulnerable women.

 

Our website has more details/pictures about the trip to Zambia and our future plans. Our desire is to return to that area of Zambia at the end of May. Besides teaching our Pastoral Family Enrichment conference, we hope to minister to the Wisdom school, so that they may continue to teach children from the adjacent slum area.

 

We just finished teaching a retreat for the Caddo Baptist Association. We feel honored to be able to teach this retreat for the third year in a row. This year, we taught on the Character of Marriage (topics - commitment, compassion, courage, and contentment, see our marriage blog for those teachings).

 

At last year’s retreat, we noticed a couple that was really struggling - she cried most of the time, he was uninvolved and indifferent. Shortly after that weekend, this couple called us for an appointment. They started coming to see us every week, driving an hour each way, and spending an hour with us. They committed to us and each other to work on their marriage. They came to their appointments faithfully and did their homework each week. The tears began to turn to smiles. Dissatisfaction turned to delight. Their friends tell us that they seem happier now than they ever have in their marriage. When talking to them after this year’s seminar, he compared the difference - “Last year, I couldn’t wait to get out of here when it was over; this year it is like you said in the last session, we are contented.” God still does miracles!

 

Our pastor asked us to head a team to strengthen families through focusing on marriage and parenting. Last Friday, we launched the Marriage and Family Ministry with an event to celebrate marriage - Together Forever. We had 100 couples attend. We honored long-time marriages, encouraged young marriages, and hoped to inspire all. God has given us a great team; we can hardly wait to see what God is going to do in lives as we develop a comprehensive marriage and parenting ministry.

 

As a step in that ministry, we are teaching a marriage class at our church beginning February 12, 5-6:30. The class is open to couples who are married, engaged, or “seriously dating.” [for more information]

 

Valentine’s Day is all about love.

 

Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables, wrote, "Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved."

 

We agree but another person is not capable of convincing us, only God can. God says to us “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3) “...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

 

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! He has a lot in store for us in 2012!

 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards 

Happy New Year!

What is the most valuable commodity that we have available to us?

Money is important to many people. Money can be lost. But it can be gained again. Homes can be destroyed by a tornado but they can be rebuilt. Time is really our most valuable commodity. Once lost, it can never be regained. Time cannot be purchased or acquired. We all have the same amount, regardless of our socio-economical level, race, or gender. We all have the same amount of time and equal opportunities to use our time beneficially or waste it. 

2011 has drawn to a close. We often review how we have done with money during the previous year. We are forced to see examine the subject when we do our taxes.

 How many of us look at how we spent our time? We can put money in an investment or in the bank and leave it alone, not really think about it. It may even grow some while it sits. However, if we don’t think about how we spend our time, we will spend it all and have not gained anything.

To waste time is to squander a gift from God. (John Blanchard)

Most of us spend around eight hours sleeping and eight hours working. What do we do with the other eight? Some of that time is driving, some is eating, some is cleaning our bodies/house, some is with family members. But what about our discretionary time? How are we investing our time? On what will we spend the time that cannot be regained? 

There is nothing wrong with spending time having fun, but is that our goal for discretionary time? How much of that golden time do we lose by being angry? Or do we spend our time indulging in damaging behaviors? Or do we just do nothing, laying around, watching TV? God is interested in and cares about how we use the time He has given us, not just the money.

At our stage in life, we have many interests. Some would take a lifetime to complete. We are painfully aware that we do not have enough time left to fulfill all of our desires. So, we have chosen to seek God on what He wants for our time. We believe that the focus for our time is to bring healing and health to marriages through the work of God in a people’s lives.

During the next two months - we will go back to Zambia for two weeks, come back, teach a marriage retreat, lead a team to provide a marriage celebration event, teach marriage classes, and continue to provide guidance for marriages in crisis, financial distress, and to prepare couples for marriage. We are excited about what God has for us in 2012! 

We leave in two days for Zambia. The Lord has been faithful to provide for the mission. At the end of this letter, we will have our intinerary and prayer requests. We value your prayers. We believe that you are all part of our ministry team.

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

Thursday, Jan.5, 7:00 am* (*Times are local with CDT in parenthesis)
      Leave for Nairobi, Kenya, arrive Friday 8:40 pm (11:40 am*)

Saturday, Jan. 7, 8:50 am
    Leave for Ndola, Zambia (11:50pm, Friday*), arrive noon (2:00 am, Saturday*) 43 hours after leaving OKC (includes 8 hours at hotel in Nairobi to sleep, shower and eat)

Sunday,Jan.8 - Sunday,Jan.15    Sunday - Ed preaches in a church
   Monday - Donna teaches a women's seminar
   Tuesday and Wednesday - both lead couples follow-up and teach
   Thursday - visit Wisdom Community School and Nkwazi Slum
   Friday - both teach Kaniki Bible College
   Saturday - both teach single parent"s seminar   
   Sunday - Ed preaches in a church

Monday, Jan. 16, 12:50 pm
   Fly to Nairobi, Kenya (4:50 am*), arrive 4:20 pm(7:20 am*) includes 24 hrs. of rest before flying home

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 10:55 pm (2:55 pm*)
  depart Nairobi for home

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 5:21 pm 
   ARRIVE OKLAHOMA CITY! (26 ½ hours total journey home)

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Safety in travel, good health, sleeping well in Zambia
2. Logistics and meeting schedule to work out smoothly in Zambia
3. Good weather for flights and in Ndola, so that participants can travel to meetings/services
4. God’s words and His wisdom as we speak to various groups in Zambia
5. God’s words and wisdom as we speak at marriage retreat January 27-28 in Norman
6. God’s financial provision (day-to-day expenses) for His ministry through Living Well, that He would provide for our full budget
7. Wisdom in leading a new marriage & family ministry team at our church, planning for Feb. 3 Together Forever event
8. Wisdom in knowing God’s will as we plan for 2012.
9. Wisdom in marriage/financial guidance appointments/teaching—God would speak through us and strengthen/heal the people, their marriages/finances.
10. Our family - good health, protection on our marriage; protection, wisdom for our children and grandchildren

December 2011 Letter - LIVING WELL

“The Greatest Man in History, Jesus,
  had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
  Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
  Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
  He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
  He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
  He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
  He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. “ Author Unknown

The fact that one person could have that much of an influence in His world and for generations to come is mind-boggling! How do we even wrap our minds around that fact? The most amazing part of the Christmas story is still that God would leave the glory of heaven to come to earth and live as one of us. He lived in a way that we could all know what God is like. Humans were able to see and walk with God himself. Men and women talked to God! People saw how it looks to live a life perfectly. We have a written record of how a person lives a completely, selfless, faith-filled life. He did all of that so that we could know Him as our Savior, our Lord, and our God.

As Americans, we face a challenge and an opportunity at Christmas.

Our challenge is to celebrate the incarnation of our Savior every day and not be overcome by the materialism of this season.

Our opportunity is to share with our circle of friends/family/colleagues about the ultimate Gift at a time when hearts are soft and longing for a lasting peace and joy of the season. “… How much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” Romans 5:15b

With a little over a month until our next mission trip to Zambia, we need lots of prayer!

As we explained in our last post, we believe God has called us to expand our ministry in Africa. We will leave again on January 5th to minister in Zambia. We will be teaching and meeting with pastor couples that we taught last year, as well as with new couples. We will also be planning for an expanded ministry next summer. Please pray with us as we finalize details. We have already purchased our plane tickets, almost $5000. At this time, we have received about 2% of the $7500 total cost of the trip. We believe that God will provide! Please join us in that prayer! 

We wholeheartedly believe in the priority of the great commission. Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Have we really “made a disciple” if we have only engaged in presenting the gospel? We take very seriously the command to “make disciples.” We believe that one of the most important ways we can make a disciple is through teaching pastors how to live out the Christ-life in their marriages. And secondly, we teach and train the pastors how they can teach others to live out the good news of Jesus Christ.

Marriage is a vital part of God’s design for our life on this earth. He started the Bible with a marriage between the first man and woman - before the birth of children or the birth of the church. He also ends the Bible with a wedding - a wedding between Christ and the Church. Marriage is not the only part of discipleship but it is a very important part of it. Marriage is a visible symbol God wants to use to show the world how He loves, how He accepts, and how He forgives.

The end of the year is often a time when people consider their giving to the Lord in a special way. We are very thankful for the people who support this ministry. These end-of-the-year donations are a vital part of our budget. Please pray for God to supply our needs at this time of the year.

You are a valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing at Living Well!

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please pray with us for the completion of the planning and financial support for Zambia 2012.

To Donate, click here.

To see more on last year's Zambia mission:

For more on the Zambian mission, see:

• Vows
• LIVING WELL LETTER
• Anniversary Celebration
• Pastors Express Appreciation
• Their Words
• Questions, Questions
• Ndola, Zambia, Family Enrichment Conference
• Conference in Ndola, Zambia
• Conference Begins

MISSION ZAMBIA JANUARY 2012

Since undergoing training in Marriage and Family at the Seminar, we resolved to start having similar sessions for couples at our church. We have been having marriage enrichment sessions every Sunday, from June to the end of August, this year. We have begun to see in attendance, even couples who are not members of our church.* Pastor Sostern Banda

I can confess that I didn’t have a proper or effective ministry to the Couples. However, after attending the Seminar, we decided to re-organize our couples’ fellowship in our church. Subsequently, we first gathered thirty married couples. Presently, we are now holding monthly couples’ fellowships. Consequently, we have had three couples added to our church, through the ministry to the couples.* Pastor Gideon Mvula

*quotes from a follow up meeting at the end of August after our June conference

These two pastors express why we continue to go back and train more pastors.

After our last mission trip (June 2011), God spoke to our hearts about doing more work in that area. Our Zambian partner there is very efficient, effective, godly, and influential among the pastors. We had our most fruitful mission trip ever. We believe that the Lord is leading us to return there in January of 2012. We have two goals: 1) to minister more to the ones that we taught last June, and 2) to further investigate other ministry opportunities for a team in June 2012.

Our ministry time will include meeting again with the pastor couples that we taught. We will also do some teaching to men and women separately. We will speak at a Bible college nearby and speak in churches on marriage.

Our time to investigate and prepare for next summer will focus on discerning the best place to conduct our next marriage seminar for pastors, exploring how we can help with a school and children located in a slum in Ndola, opportunities for leadership training, and possible men/women’s conferences.

Since we are not sponsoring a weeklong conference on this mission in January 2012, we are able to keep the costs lower than the usual summer mission. We will meet in churches (at no charge) and will not give away Bibles. Our costs will include transportation (airfare is the largest cost), lodging, food, visas, translators, and teaching materials. Our budget is $7500 for the 13 day trip. We will leave January 5 and return January 18, 2012.

Please pray with us for this upcoming mission. God has ordained this work and called us to it. His mission effort will succeed through the generous support of His people. Please join us as we obey the call and allow Him to work through us in touching many in His Name.

Blessings,
Ed and Donna Edwards

To donate, click here. [All contributions are fully tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt.] For more information about past missions to Zambia, enter "Zambia" into the search box on this page.

NOVEMBER 2011 LETTER - LIVING WELL

“We aren’t happy anymore.” How many times have we heard that statement?

Happiness is a popular subject in today’s world. People seek it, read about it, demand it. A quick search of books on happiness turns up over 10,000 options. Near the top of the best-seller list is a book by a  popular, Christian pastor that includes this phrase in its title, “How to be Happier 7 Days a Week.”

We use idioms such as “a happy camper”, “happy-go-lucky”, “happy as a clam”, “fat and happy.” Marketers capitalized on our desire for happiness by creating “happy hour” and “Happy Meals.” 

The Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Americans have made “the pursuit of Happiness” a priority. Many have moved to the next step of believing and demanding that they have happiness.

The expectation of happiness in this life on earth is a fairly new phenomenon in the history of mankind. Once believed to be something that one attained after leaving this world, the Enlightenment proposed that happiness was “a natural human endowment attainable in theory by every man, woman, and child.” (Happiness, a history by Darrin M. McMahon) In fact, if a person is unhappy, something is wrong.

We now have elevated it to a sense of well-being that we each try to attain and maintain, usually by trying to change something in our circumstances, either people, geography, our looks, or our possessions. Research has shown that only 10% of our “happiness” comes from our circumstances, and those circumstances only bring a temporary change. About 50% of our happiness quotient comes from our genetic make-up, factors that we cannot change. That means that 50% of our sense of well-being can be changed but only 10% has to do with our circumstances. However, we spend most of our life pursuing that 10% change, virtually ignoring the other factors that influence our happiness. 

What are those other factors? One of the top factors is being grateful! Scientific research affirms this solution to our sense of well being. This fact is not new news! God told us in His Word thousands of years ago to give thanks and to be grateful. This directive is not just for the optimistic or for the positive thinkers or for leaders or Sunday school teachers - it is for all of us! Expressing gratitude and thankfulness is not only part of what God says is a practice of His children but it is also what brings us to a better place emotionally in our lives. Whatever God shows us to do is the very best for us!

I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High…. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. 

Instead of looking at your mate or your circumstances and dwelling on what is wrong, practice gratitude and thankfulness. Begin a gratitude journal or a prayer list to God about all that is good in your life and in the people around you. As we approach Thanksgiving, we challenge you to express one item of appreciation or thanks to your spouse every day and to eliminate complaints or criticisms for one week and see what happens. Give God a chance to work miracles in your marriage!

We are very thankful that God has provided funds for a new computer for the ministry. We are thankful for the continued prayers and donations of many people. We are asking you to join with us and ask the Lord to raise the shortfall in our monthly budget. As a nonprofit, we operate similar to an incorporated business, except our income is all from donations; we do not sell a product. We receive salaries as employees of the organization. Our salary amount is set by our board of directors. If we do not have enough income to provide for all of our monthly expenses, the only place that we have to cut back is in our salaries. During these times, we do not receive our full salary. We want to continue in the ministry as God has called us; He has promised that He will provide for us.

You are an valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing at Living Well! 

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

Behind the Scenes at Living Well

We teach .... we give guidance .... we lead .... we train ..... we go on mission trips.

To do all of that and maintain a nonprofit ministry, a lot goes on behind the scenes. This video is a glimpse of some of what Ed and Donna do behind the scenes at Living Well.

OCTOBER 2011 LETTER - LIVING WELL

I was done. I was ready to get out of the marriage…… How much longer can I go on? …. A last ditch effort…. They better have a miracle in their pocket….. Realizing how much I had been forgiven…. Why do I deserve to be forgiven but he doesn’t? I need grace everyday just like he does. …. Learning how to not argue, how to resolve our differences. Learning techniques….. Now reconciled after two years of separation.

This testimony of what God has done through Living Well was shared at our dinner. [see the video here]

Guidance given in the first nine months of 2011

Since the beginning of 2011, we have met with 22 couples (multiple appointments each) six of those appointments were for premarital preparation. When couples come to see us, we both meet with them. We ministered to 23 individuals (5 were also in the couple meetings) for a total of 62 different people, representing 40 families. (who have a total of 60 children approximately). Your prayers and support has made a difference for all of these families. 

Thank you for our prayers for our annual dinner. We enjoyed seeing everyone and sharing what God has done during the last year and His vision for us for the year to come.

At last year’s dinner, our board presented a budget of about $148,000. Our budgets include all of our ministry expenses including rent, office supplies, printing, staff development (.5%), salaries, payroll taxes, health insurance, Africa missions, and fundraising (1.2%). As you can see, we operate on a very low budget for the amount of ministry that we do. We are the only two staff members. After last year’s dinner, some commented to us that they couldn’t believe that we operated on that small amount. We are thankful for the many donors who make this ministry possible. 

Living Well Budget for Fiscal Year
October 2011-Sept 2012

Our income during the last fiscal year was $12,000 less than our budget. Since we operate on a very tight budget, the only expense that we can cut is salaries. We received $1000 less per month salary than our budgeted amount. At our dinner, our board of directors presented our total budget of $164,645 for the coming fiscal year . Our budget includes the same ministry expenses as last year except money for one new computer and a second mission trip to Africa.

We believe that God wants us to focus our mission efforts next year in Zambia again. Our ministry time there last year was very fruitful. Why would we spend 20% of our budget this year on this mission when we aren’t even receiving full salaries? Because of the numbers of lives that we can impact and the receptiveness of those to whom we minister. 

During eight days in Zambia last year, we taught over 40 hours and reached about 275 people; 100 of those were pastor couples. The need there is so great in so many areas but they are very responsive to the teaching and willing to follow the Lord. We are now planning to go to Zambia in January of 2012 to minister but also to plan for a larger ministry endeavor for the summer of 2012.

How can we possibly meet this new budget since it is around $28,000 more than we received last year? Only God can make it possible! Please pray with us that He will provide the additional donations so that we can continue in the ministry to which He has called us.

We ask you to pray with us that God, Our Provider, will supply the necessary funds for full salaries and also for an additional computer and mission needs that we have. Please pray our donations increase by $2333/month. We know our mission to see marriages healed and strengthened is close to His hear.

Donations make it possible for us to give guidance to people with their marriages or money management problems, regardless of their income and ability to give. The donations also sustain our work with churches in developing marriage ministries and our Africa missions. You are an valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing at Living Well!

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards